Arthur's World
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: Sequel to "Naomi's World." Summary coming soon because I honestly forgot what it's about and I have too much to do right now to stop and figure it out, but please enjoy anyway and feel free to leave a review.
1. Chapter 1

**Arthur's World**

A/N: This is a sequel to "Naomi's World", and you should read that before jumping into this. You do not have to read the prequel to Naomi's World, "Arthur's Baby Problem", to understand this piece.

Other notes:

*This has nothing to do with Sophomore Sorrows. I say this because yes, people have asked me if some of my other pieces are related to S.S. and I feel the need to clarify before anyone asks again^^

*This is a K+ piece. Romantic, yes; smutty and graphic, no.

*Enjoy:)

Chapter 1

|First Date|

Arthur picked up Sue Ellen at seven sharp. They'd been together for two weeks, but homework had kept them too busy for a real outing. Now it was Friday night and neither had to spend the evening at the library, so they were headed to the local theatre. It was chilly so Arthur brought an extra jacket for Sue Ellen. She accepted it as Arthur bought their tickets.

They stepped inside the warm lobby and the smell of popcorn overwhelmed them. Sue Ellen pulled away from Arthur and moved to the shortest line. Arthur caught up and noticed Sue Ellen fumbling with something in her purse.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked. Sue Ellen smiled, "I believe in half-and-half, Arthur. You bought the tickets, so I want to buy the popcorn and drinks. Before you say the popcorn will be too expensive, I have a coupon," Sue Ellen grinned, flapping it Arthur and making it brush his nose. Arthur blushed as they reached the counter. "One large popcorn and two cokes," Sue Ellen ordered. The attendant repeated back the order before disappearing behind the popcorn bin's thick metal lid.

Arthur looked up with a perplexed expression. He tapped Sue Ellen's shoulder, "Was that…?" "Yes, Francine works here now," Sue Ellen smiled. "How do you think I got the coupon?"

"Here you go. Ten-fifty," Francine said, taking Sue Ellen's money. Francine nodded to Arthur, "I hope you two enjoy the movie," she said, handing Sue Ellen her change. Sue Ellen put it away and picked up the popcorn tub and her drink. Arthur grabbed his with his good arm and followed Sue Ellen to the auditorium.

Previews were playing onscreen as the couple took a seat in the back row. The movie they'd chosen had been out for a few weeks now, and only a handful of others were in the theatre. Arthur noticed George was on the first row with his parents and felt himself grin. Just a few short months ago, that was almost how he had to enjoy movies. He'd have to watch the Pretty Little Pony films premiering in theatres so his sisters could come too. Arthur had to do anything he could so his parents could get some relief. With everything going on lately, Arthur was happy to get some alone time with his new girlfriend.

"Arthur, it's starting. What were you thinking about?" Sue Ellen whispered. Arthur shrugged with his good shoulder. Sue Ellen sighed, "You were thinking about your parents and siblings, weren't you? They're safe with the new nanny," Sue Ellen grinned, touching Arthur's nose and dabbing a bit of butter on it. She leaned forward and kissed his nose, getting the butter off. Arthur turned a bright shade of crimson; he'd never been in a romantic moment in a theatre before. He felt his pulse quicken as Sue Ellen took his good hand.

A moment later, she was feeding him popcorn because his arm was still out of commission. His pulse was speeding so fast that Arthur almost felt sick. He'd had a faster heart rate in the weeks since he and Sue Ellen got together, and he knew it was because of her. But now it was even faster, and Arthur felt other sensations that made him wonder what exactly was going on with him. His father had explained that girls could drive him crazy, but until now, he had no idea what that meant.

"Oh my god, Arthur, you're sweating! Are you okay?" Sue Ellen gasped, using a napkin to dab his forehead. Arthur nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…I've never been on a date like this before. It's a little hard to get used to," Arthur whispered. Sue Ellen squeezed his hand and looked up as the movie began. They moved closer, and Sue Ellen put her head on Arthur's shoulder. He could smell her hair and his own head fell back from delight. He took a long whiff and felt his pulse quicken to a new pace he'd never felt before. Arthur felt like he was in a daze, and as the opening credits ended, Arthur realized he had no idea what he was even seeing anymore.

But Arthur didn't care. He was on a date with his girlfriend and he felt amazing.

When the movie was over, Arthur walked Sue Ellen to her door. She waved and walked inside to her father. He shook Arthur's hand and thanked him for being such a gentleman, then he closed and latched the door.

Arthur walked home to find his parents up with the twins. Both were sick with the sniffles and were fussy. Arthur put up his things in his room and moved downstairs to help, but his parents relieved him. He nodded, moving upstairs to get ready for bed. He missed not being able to help out around the house, but his cast would be off soon, which would hopefully mean his broken arm days were over.

|Doctor Blues|

Arthur had to wait over an hour for his doctor to see him. He took off the cast using a small electric saw and a file to cut the remaining plaster. Arthur watched as his arm was revealed for the first time. The skin was red and irritated, but that wasn't what shocked him the most.

"I need an x-ray of this stat. I think your bones didn't fuse the way they should have," the doctor said. Arthur called his mother, who left the twins with the new nanny and drove to the doctor's office. Then she took Arthur to the local hospital, where the radiology department was waiting for him. They took the x-rays and dismissed Arthur. His mother took them home, where the nanny had dinner waiting for them.

The new nanny was a local grandmother who wanted to do more with the area children. After the Naomi fiasco, they had to pick the right person, and they interviewed around twenty people before deciding on the new nanny, Mrs. Faulks. Arthur thought she smelled like old people, especially after putting on lotion, but the twins took to her and that was good enough for him.

"Well, your cast is gone—oh my," the nanny gasped. Arthur nodded solemnly and sat down at the table. As soon as he did, the phone rang, and Jane carefully picked it up. She nodded a few times before sighing heavily. She looked up to Arthur with the same solemn expression, "He wants to see you first thing in the morning. You can't eat anything after midnight, so no breakfast before we go."

"What? Why can't I have food?" Arthur gasped. Jane sighed, "He needs to do surgery. He's going to re-break your arm and set it properly with pins—"

"Mom, no! How long will that take to heal?!" Arthur argued. Jane shook her head, "We'll know later. It needs to be done, Arthur. You can't use your arm like that," Jane said firmly. Arthur growled, feeling a teenage wave of angst come over him. He used his arm to lift the dining room chair. The nanny turned away, as did the twins, as a sickening crack filled the room.

Arthur screamed as Jane hit the redial button. The doctor answered immediately and Jane told him the news. He asked for them to head to the hospital right away, and Jane obliged. Mrs. Faulks remained with the children as Jane helped a screaming Arthur into the car.

A few hours later, he was in emergency surgery to repair his arm, and thanks to his carelessness, the injury was worse than before. Jane was upset for her son, but she knew these things happened. She waited patiently in the waiting room, flipping through a magazine, until their latest wave of bad luck faded.

|Ouch!|

Arthur woke up to see Sue Ellen by the window. She was watching people below as they prepared for a fall festival parade. When Arthur stirred, she turned to him with a sad smile, "Hey, Arthur, your mom called me. How do you feel?" she asked.

Arthur thought for a moment. His arm was throbbing far worse than when he broke it before. "Well, I feel like I got hit by a bus in one spot," Arthur whispered. "Where is my mom?" he asked, looking around the empty room. Sue Ellen nodded, "The twins both have fevers, so she's at the pediatrician's office. She'll be back tonight if she can make it. If not, your dad will come, I think. I don't know Arthur, but I'm here, and my mom is nearby if you need anything."

"No, I was just…what happened to me?" Arthur asked. Sue Ellen giggled, "Pain does make the mind forget. I'll go get the doctor, but…your mom said you got cocky, re-broke your arm yourself, and so here we are," Sue Ellen grinned. Arthur nodded. Sue Ellen kissed his forehead and left the room. A moment later, the doctor confirmed her story. Arthur sighed heavily; he had six months of recovery to go through this time, complete with more restrictions than he ever wanted, as well as far more pain. He regretted that wave of teenage angst, and truly, he wondered where it came from.

But as Sue Ellen returned and sat near him, Arthur knew where it came from. He had a lot of feelings for Sue Ellen, and it must be affecting his mood somehow. He didn't really mind though, namely because he loved the feelings Sue Ellen gave him. He couldn't wait for them to start dating again, but he knew it would take some time because of his injury. He sighed, wanting to start now, but he knew he'd have to wait again. Hopefully it would be less stressful than before.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

|Coming Home|

The twins were concerned as Arthur reentered the Read household. He'd spent two days at the hospital because of his surgery, and though he was home, he was still in a lot of pain. His expression showed it, and his siblings were all very concerned for his well-being. Arthur tried to be strong and help Mrs. Faulks with her tasks, but the woman noticed and shooed him out of the kitchen.

That afternoon, Buster and Alex came over with Arthur's homework. Alex quickly had to deal with a family issue, which left Buster and Arthur alone. Buster flipped through their math book blankly. Arthur gingerly sat up to watch his friend before asking what was the matter.

Buster sighed heavily, "I just…I was wondering about a few things. It's weird not having you at school, and Sue Ellen looks…well, she's depressed, Arthur. Have you seen her yet?" he asked. Arthur nodded, "She came to see me in the hospital. She did look really sad. But I guess she knew this wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to get my cast off, get a therapy date, and be a normal kid again. So much for that."

"Yeah," Buster sighed. "And Francine doesn't look any better. That's the part that has me so confused. It's like she's really depressed too, but she only learned about you through other people. She hasn't even asked me or Sue Ellen to confirm it or not."

"How do you know if she's talked to Sue Ellen or not?" Arthur asked. "I thought you only had a few classes with her. And she and Francine are close. Sue Ellen bought popcorn on our date because Francine gave her a coupon."

"So they're close? Strange," Buster whispered. Arthur looked his friend over. Buster still looked overly concerned about something. Arthur sighed and sat up, "Buster, what's really bothering you?"

"I just…I hope you're treating her right, Arthur. Your arm didn't hinder you before, but now it is, and I'm just…concerned for you and for her," Buster said quickly. Then he sighed heavily and left the room before Arthur could even respond. Arthur was extremely perplexed as he looked down from his window. Buster looked back at the house before riding off. Arthur shook his head and sat down to look at his homework. He wanted to know Buster's motives, but at the same time, he had more on his plate to worry about. He carefully started doing his homework in an attempt to catch up.

|Stranger than Strange|

Arthur returned to school the next week. Sue Ellen and Buster were both there to help him to his first class, but so many kids were staring in Arthur's direction. Arthur could feel people looking at him as he settled in to take notes.

But one person seemed to be staring harder than anyone else: Francine. She was in Arthur's first class, but she disappeared as soon as class was released. Arthur looked around for her in the hall, but he couldn't find her. Sue Ellen found him instead and helped him to his locker and their next class, which they had together with Francine and Muffy. Arthur and Sue Ellen took seats together on the far side of the room; Francine and Muffy sat in the back of the room.

The class was quiet, so Arthur could hear the girls whispering. Their tone was concerned and their words were quick, and when Arthur felt his neck tingle, he knew the girls were talking about him.

"Arthur, are you okay? You look sick. Do you need—?" Sue Ellen asked, but Arthur held up his hand, "I'm fine. They're talking about me. Why has Francine been looking at me so funny? Buster mentioned it too."

"Buster always has his nose in other people's business," Sue Ellen hissed. Arthur was perplexed, "What was that about?" Sue Ellen shook her head, "It's nothing, but he's been poking around a lot lately. He asked me why I was so upset yesterday. He should already know that, Arthur. I'm concerned about you. I missed you. That's normal."

"I still want to know why they're talking about me, and I feel like you know something. I just don't want people to worry about me. I'm fine," Arthur said. The teacher entered the room and started class, so Sue Ellen wrote Arthur a note: _I don't know why she's so concerned for you. All I know is that Buster needs to stay out of it, you need to focus on yourself, and I'm through having this conversation._

Arthur was about to ask another question, but he could tell by Sue Ellen's scowl that he should stay quiet. He felt worse now because he could tell people were concerned for him, and since no one was willing to actually speak to him with their concerns, Arthur was left completely in the dark. He was annoyed, and he was wondering yet again why his injury was such a big deal. But unlike before, he knew this was different, and he could feel a stern tension rising.

|Catfight!|

Arthur was at his locker in the Elwood City High gym when he heard yelling outside. Arthur stepped out of the room with the other boys as couches blew their whistles. The crowd disbursed, but two students were being led away from the gym: Sue Ellen and Francine.

"I told you something was up with them," Buster said, rolling his eyes and heading back into the locker room. Arthur ran up to him, "What are you talking about? No one wants to tell me anything and I'm getting sick of it. What's going on?" Arthur demanded. Buster shrugged and tried to focus on putting away his wet towel properly. "Buster!" Arthur hissed.

"Fine, fine," Buster sighed. "Rumor has it that Francine has feelings for you, and she's jealous of Sue Ellen for being with you. She feels horrible about your injury but no one has talked to her yet. Francine is mad at you for keeping them in the dark; Sue Ellen is mad at Francine for not controlling her feelings. I guess it boiled over out there, but I don't know. Sue Ellen threatened me earlier to keep my nose out of everything, and I want to keep that promise. Please, just drop it. Let the girls work out their own problems."

"But it has to do with me," Arthur groaned, sitting down. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Arthur cried, looking up as a coach entered the locker room. Arthur was escorted to the office, where Sue Ellen and Francine were with separate administrators. Arthur was taken to a third.

"Hi, Arthur, we wanted to ask you about this situation with Sue Ellen and Francine. Do you have any information?" the administrator asked. Arthur sighed and shook his head, "I don't know anything. Leave me out of it, please. It's just too much for me. I need to go to class anyway. I'm already behind—"

"Calm down, Arthur. We're aware of your situation, and I understand you want to get back to class, but Sue Ellen and Francine are very concerned for you to the point that they're arguing. We'd like you to help us mediate the situation—"

Arthur sighed heavily and hung his head. He didn't care anymore. He felt overwhelmed, and he really just wanted to either go back to class or go home. He'd prefer to just go home and stay there, but the administrator didn't care. She ignored his dismal expression and retrieved the girls. Arthur sighed heavily as the two began arguing over him, both of them accusing the other one of various things.

Finally, Arthur had enough. He stood up so fast his chair flipped backwards. He ran from the room, narrowly missing the other administrators as he tried to find a hiding spot. His cast and arm pain slowed him down, and soon another administrator had caught up with him.

"What's wrong?" they asked. Arthur said nothing. If they couldn't figure out why he was upset, they shouldn't be working with teenagers. "Does your arm hurt? What can I do for you?" they asked.

"I want to go home! If you're not going to let me go to class in piece, I want to go home!" Arthur screamed.

Sue Ellen had peeked out of the office, as had Francine. They both looked hurt, but Francine was the one who spoke, "So, you want to just abandon us some more? Do you care about anyone but yourself?"

"I could say the same to you! I'm the one who's hurt, but it's all about you. It always has been, Francine. And why you're involved with this, I don't know," Arthur said to Sue Ellen. She shook her head, "Francine pulled me in. I feel bad for her, but now, you're the one I feel for. We're done."

Arthur felt really hurt. That wasn't what he wanted from her, and he felt his heart ache.

But, Arthur felt relief too. He had feelings for Sue Ellen, but since his new injury, she'd acted differently. Everyone had acted differently. Arthur was sick of it, and he eagerly followed the administrators to check out. He would try to do his school work from home because school was too much for his injury. Really, he couldn't handle the emotional stress, but it didn't matter right now. Arthur was single and he felt like he did before Naomi came in to ruin his life: like absolute crap.


End file.
